Thank you Tite! For returning value to the Manager position

Some people insist on belittling the work of the Manager in this sport, although it is true, the players are the ones who enter to the field, Soccer is not limited only to them moving the ball from one side to another. Let us understand the game as a set of actions and decisions on a field, within which individual factors such as skill, speed, technique, strength, skill and other groups such as strategy, planning, organization, motivation, among others, are involved. Complete responsibility of the group head, the Manager.

The case of Brazil is a perfect example of the importance that decisions and the correct handling of a group of soccer players can play. Tite replaced Dunga and immediately made notorious decisions in view of the entire world, the absence of old guards, such as Oliveira, Fred, Kaka and David Luiz monopolized the news and attracted the attention of the majorities. But the key was not in those who left or arrived, the key of this Brazil lies in the complex interpretation of a very simple idea. For this we can ask several questions:

How does the team of the best Brazilian player play today (Neymar)? FC Barcelona uses a 4-3-3 formation, and it is in that formation where Ney showed his best performance, both there and now in PSG. But not everything ends there, it is not as simple as planting a team around one, as some people say, for this we keep asking ourselves questions:

How do the teams of the two best laterals that Brazil currently has play (Alves / Marcelo)? How do the teams of the two best defensive midfielders? Of the best wings? etc. All of them play with optimal performance using a 4-3-3 formation. So, the answer for Tite was simple: nothing new to invent, «we have a formation», said Tite and that’s where it starts.

Now once defined the formation that Tite wanted to use, what was next? actors. Get to place the best players that Brazil has to get the best performance of each position of 4-3-3. We already mentioned the two laterals, Marcelo and Dani Alves, to take care of their backs when they go to the attack they need a «number five» basic foundations, fast central defense (Marquinhos), experience (Miranda), players that go well up, remembering that Alves and Marcelo are of the short ones, a ‘number five’ able to cover spaces and at the same time give them clearly to start playing from the bottom, Fernandinho or Casemiro, both immovable figures in Manchester City and Real Madrid, two teams that like to have the ball and use the 4-3-3, do not leave anything to chance. And that’s how Tite managed to build the team from back to front, another basic foundation of this sport.

In front of those five players, Tite needed commitment to defend, experience to cover spaces, clean output and ability to generate game, sometimes it seems too much for only two midfielders. He could have improvised with Oscar, Ganso, Kaka or someone else to convince the press, but he would be betraying the idea that everyone should play in his natural position, so he decided to put them to Paulinho and Renato Augusto, both used to 4-3-3 , without the star sign that sometimes requires this level, but with deep knowledge of how to perform the tasks mentioned.

Finally, it was time for Tite to find Neymar’s partners, who is the owner of the left side. And what did he think? He needed a natural ‘9’, a center forward, a «killer», but also run and press until they do not give his legs, it was clear that he needed a boy hungry for victory and an unquestionable quality in front of the goal, and for this he chose Gabriel Jesus, 20 years old and in full explosion within European soccer. And to complete the puzzle needed another player accustomed to the formation, which had creative ability to generate football when the opponent pressed too much to Neymar, with good shot at mid distance and ability to play from the outside to the middle, understanding that the owner of the right side is Alves, and for that he chose Coutinho, key in the 4-3-3 formation of Klopp in Liverpool and now in FC Barcelona.

Tite’s 11 was ready, but here it does not end, because a tie is very long and there is to be prepared for absences, injuries, penalties, you have to plan everything, make life easier for the player, for the group, not have individual dependencies, because this sport need 11 players inside the field and 11 outside to win. This is where Douglas Costa, Willian, Firminho, Filipe Luis, Thiago Silva and company appear, all waiting for an opportunity to add and most importantly, with the assurance that when they turn in they will not improvise anything, they are natural re-changes for each one of the positions of that 4-3-3 formation.

I could spend hours and hours writing lines of this Brazil and everything that surrounds its good moment since the arrival of Tite. The psychological aspect, the confidence, the motivation, everything that turns inside the head of a soccer player are key for mechanics to work, not only is it to put the puzzle together, it is that when you put it together, the image looks good, like Brazil of Tite.